Chapter 380 – Genius and Mediocrity, Talent and Effort

The Great Wilderness Pagoda, the venue for the Dao Academy competition.

“Sigh, everyone knows it’s a guaranteed loss, yet the teachers insist we have to give it a try.”

“If you ask me, is there even a need to try? It’s a certain defeat.”

Shen Feiyang muttered weakly to himself as he walked toward the arena.

For such a one-sided battle, he had no fighting spirit at all.

After all, the gap between him and Lu Chen wasn’t just visible to the naked eye.

It was an insurmountable chasm.

An enormous divide that external forces couldn’t bridge.

Winning?

How could he possibly win!

But in this world, many things aren’t decided by personal preferences alone.

Although Shen Feiyang lacked fighting spirit,

Others felt completely different.

For many in the Profound Water Academy, this Dao Academy competition might very well be the last time they could participate in an event of this scale.

It was also their final chance to prove themselves in front of so many people.

Such opportunities, even for cultivators with long lifespans, might not come around more than a few times.

Therefore, even though they knew they stood no chance against Lu Chen,

They would rather be defeated than surrender.

In this regard, Shen Feiyang was somewhat coerced by them.

After all, Shen Feiyang was the strongest among all of them.

When they reached the edge of the arena, as expected, the Profound Water Academy directly chose to have Shen Feiyang appear last.

If the Barren Wilderness Academy believed the Meow King had a chance against Lu Chen,

And thus wanted the Meow King to go first to see if they could directly crush the Lihuo Dao Academy,

Adopting an all-out offensive strategy,

Then the Profound Water Academy’s approach was completely opposite.

After all, during the match between the Barren Wilderness Academy and the Lihuo Dao Academy,

The other students from the Lihuo Dao Academy hadn’t withdrawn yet.

Even if Lu Chen lost to the Meow King for some reason,

There were still Mu Xiaoye and other students from the Lihuo Dao Academy.

But now it was different.

Now, the Lihuo Dao Academy only had Lu Chen left.

The Profound Water Academy’s plan was simple: see if the others could deplete Lu Chen’s Qi as much as possible.

Creating favorable conditions for Shen Feiyang’s subsequent appearance.

Although Shen Feiyang found this suggestion quite unnecessary.

After all, he could sense that from the moment Lu Chen appeared until now, he had never been serious.

Even during his match with the Meow King, Lu Chen’s demeanor

Didn’t resemble a spar between peers, but rather a senior guiding a junior’s cultivation.

This alone showed how powerful Lu Chen truly was.

A battle of attrition?

The premise of a battle of attrition is that the obstacles can actually achieve some hindering effect.

Perhaps what they considered obstacles were nothing more than toy cars that shatter upon touch in Lu Chen’s eyes, utterly ineffective.

The so-called battle of attrition would only delay the inevitable end of the match.

This was Shen Feiyang’s perspective, utterly pessimistic.

His lifeless, listless aura was so palpable that not only his classmates around him,

But even the audience in the stands and those watching on television could clearly feel it.

Many people wore expressions of disbelief,

Unable to believe they could witness such a scene from a Golden Core Stage cultivator.

How could someone so strong give off the impression of being utterly useless?In a certain sense, Shen Feiyang could be considered a unique model of ‘firmness of Dao Heart’.

He was lazy—so lazy that he often couldn’t be bothered to make decisions for himself, simply going with the flow.

Strictly speaking, from birth until now, he had only made two decisions entirely on his own.

The first was when Yu Tianqi misunderstood him and tasked him with infiltrating the Black Lotus Sect.

Shen Feiyang decided to genuinely become that spy.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have put so much effort into completing the missions Yu Tianqi assigned him.

Even his later enrollment in the Profound Water Academy was part of this plan.

The second decision he made was when Luocheng High School was besieged by the Black Lotus Sect.

Shen Feiyang single-handedly held off a large group of Heretical Cultivators.

Upon reflection, lazy as Shen Feiyang was, he possessed a decisiveness in major matters that ordinary people lacked.

But was this Dao Academy competition considered a major event?

Shen Feiyang, who only wanted to finish early and return to rest, pondered this.

Just then, an enthusiastic voice rang in his ear.

“What’s wrong, Junior Shen? You look completely listless!”

Shen Feiyang turned to see a boy with bright, spirited eyes and a sunny disposition, gazing at him with boundless energy.

At the sight of this person, Shen Feiyang instinctively took half a step back, as if encountering a natural predator.

It was nothing more than the overwhelming ‘radiance’ emanating from Senior Zhuang Yongshi—far too dazzling.

So dazzling that every time he approached, Shen Feiyang felt compelled to strive alongside him.

Yet, Zhuang Yongshi was genuinely warm-hearted.

Noticing Shen Feiyang’s perpetual lack of energy, he always tried various methods to lift his spirits.

Outwardly, Zhuang Yongshi didn’t resemble a Talisman Master who spent years secluded in his Cave Residence, wholly dedicated to refining Talisman techniques.

Instead, he seemed more like those energetic Body Cultivators from the Barren Wilderness Academy.

Faced with Zhuang Yongshi’s enthusiasm, Shen Feiyang’s eye twitched slightly.

Outwardly, he showed little reaction, but inwardly, he resisted fiercely.

He feared that Zhuang Yongshi’s zeal for striving would dispel the languid Qi he himself embodied.

Shen Feiyang had always believed that he and Zhuang Yongshi were fundamentally different kinds of people.

Zhuang Yongshi was the type who faced every challenge with a smile, perpetually brimming with vitality and determination—a true go-getter.

In contrast, Shen Feiyang was the sort who worked sporadically and lazed about, embodying the spirit of a slacker content to drift through life.

Although cultivation emphasized mental state, innate talent was equally crucial.

Thus, despite Zhuang Yongshi’s immense effort, within the entire Profound Water Academy, he was merely considered decent.

His participation in this Dao Academy competition was solely due to his relentless dedication to cultivation.

Through sheer hard work, he barely met the requirements.

In comparison, Shen Feiyang was far more indolent.

If he had cultivated as diligently as Zhuang Yongshi, his current cultivation level might have been significantly higher.

Human nature fears comparison.

The reason Shen Feiyang often avoided Zhuang Yongshi was precisely because his presence invariably sparked thoughts like, “Should I try harder? Should I stop wasting my potential?”

This internal conflict was something Shen Feiyang always sought to evade.

But Zhuang Yongshi seemed to sense this. Whether back at the Profound Water Academy or now during the Dao Academy competition,

Zhuang Yongshi always made a point to ‘apprehend’ Shen Feiyang hiding among the crowd.It was as if Shen Feiyang had some kind of magnet attached to him, always being precisely caught.

Generally, Shen Feiyang would choose to brush off such situations.

But unfortunately, he had encountered his natural predator…

“What’s wrong, Junior Shen? Why so quiet? Cheer up—this is the Dao Academy Grand Competition! It’s the best stage for you to showcase yourself. Come on, get excited!”

Zhuang Yongshi grabbed Shen Feiyang by the shoulders and began shaking him wildly.

The force was so intense it nearly shook Shen Feiyang’s soul right out of his body.

At this point, Shen Feiyang could no longer keep “playing dead.”

“Stop, stop shaking me, Senior. I was just thinking about something else.”

Seeing Shen Feiyang finally speak, Zhuang Yongshi seemed to believe he had finally ignited some competitive passion in him with his enthusiasm.

He looked at Shen Feiyang and, unusually serious, said, “Junior Shen, pull yourself together.”

“You’re our Dao Academy’s ace. If even you aren’t spirited, the others will lose their drive too.”

Hearing this, Shen Feiyang instinctively glanced around.

He noticed the other students nearby were all looking in his direction, seemingly concerned about his condition.

This feeling of being expected by so many made Shen Feiyang extremely uncomfortable, as it burdened him with additional pressure.

But given his nature, Shen Feiyang wouldn’t voice these thoughts openly. To avoid affecting the others, he immediately shed his lifeless demeanor and said with a smile, “It’s fine, Senior Zhuang. I just feel a bit constrained knowing so many people will be watching this match. I’ll adjust in a moment.”

Whether he truly believed Shen Feiyang’s words or not, Zhuang Yongshi gave his shoulder a firm pat and said earnestly, “Junior Shen, I know you’re actually worried that if you don’t perform well and we lose the match, you’ll let everyone down.”

“But you don’t need to worry about that at all.”

“Because we all know that in this match, our chances of winning are slim to none.”

“Even if we end up losing, it definitely won’t be because you weren’t strong enough, but because we seniors are too weak.”

“Though others might see us as Geniuses, only we know that compared to you and Junior Lu on the other side, we only have a negligible advantage—we’re not true Geniuses.”

“You don’t need to take winning or losing so seriously. Just focus on doing your best.”

Hearing this, Shen Feiyang was taken aback.

It was the first time Zhuang Yongshi had spoken so candidly with him.

Previously, Zhuang Yongshi had always seemed carefree, exuberantly radiating an energy that appeared inexhaustible.

Recalling this, Shen Feiyang couldn’t help but ask the question on his mind.

“Then, since you know we’ll probably lose, why are you still so excited?”

Zhuang Yongshi paused, then replied matter-of-factly, “What if we win?”

“…”

What if we win…

This was an answer Shen Feiyang hadn’t considered.

In a way, Shen Feiyang was a very rational person.

He rarely attempted things that seemed impossible.

Rather than betting on a one-in-a-million chance, he preferred to focus on tasks with near-certain outcomes.But it must be admitted that Zhuang Yongshi’s enthusiastic demeanor at this moment did genuinely affect him to some extent. It also reinvigorated his previously somewhat dispirited mood.

Perhaps sensing that Shen Feiyang seemed different today, Zhuang Yongshi decided to speak candidly with him. “Junior Shen, I’m not sure if I should say this, but given today’s circumstances, I feel it’s better to be direct.”

Zhuang Yongshi looked at Shen Feiyang seriously and said, “Junior Shen, sometimes I feel you seem too closed off. It appears you have some reservations that make you reluctant to communicate sincerely with others, as if you’ve locked yourself in a room and refuse to step out.”

“I don’t know what you’ve been through, Junior Shen, nor do I know whether your approach is right or wrong. But I believe there’s always more sunlight than shadow in this world. You could try to come out more often and leave that confined little room.”

“I can’t speak for others, but everyone at the Dao Academy is quite genuine. Only when you sincerely treat others as friends can they do the same for you. Often, having more friends means having more paths forward.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Feiyang remained silent for a long time before finally nodding to indicate he would try to communicate more with others. Seeing this, Zhuang Yongshi immediately broke into a happy smile.

At that moment, they arrived at the center of the Arena. Unlike their well-organized group, only Lu Chen represented Lihuo Dao Academy. Yet, Lu Chen alone exerted a powerful pressure on Profound Water Academy.

Even though Lu Chen wasn’t displaying any particular Aura and his demeanor appeared completely peaceful without the slightest hint of aggressiveness, the matches from previous days had left a deep impression on them. They understood how formidable Lu Chen’s strength was and knew how difficult it would be to defeat this opponent.

But as Zhuang Yongshi had just said, although the outcome of this match seemed predetermined from the start, they wouldn’t be satisfied without trying themselves. After all… what if they won?

With this thought, Zhuang Yongshi extended his fist to Shen Feiyang as a final gesture. Shen Feiyang quickly understood his meaning and immediately met his fist with his own.

After this exchange, Zhuang Yongshi stepped forward as the first representative of Profound Water Academy. Although clearly aware that their opponents planned to use a wheel battle strategy, Lu Chen showed little reaction. After all, in the face of absolute strength, any tactics were merely illusory.

And reality proved exactly that. Despite Zhuang Yongshi’s passionate display before taking the stage, the gap between his strength and Lu Chen’s couldn’t be bridged by mere enthusiasm. In some passionate comics, Zhuang Yongshi might have been able to unleash power far beyond his current level through so-called ‘passion,’ ‘friendship,’ or ‘bonds.” But in reality, while these things could temporarily enhance a Cultivator’s combat ability to some extent, they couldn’t compensate for the vast disparity between him and Lu Chen.

Thus, without much effort, Lu Chen easily defeated all the students from Profound Water Academy, including Zhuang Yongshi. From beginning to end, Lu Chen didn’t even need to take a single step.Although this outcome had long been anticipated by everyone,

watching Lu Chen effortlessly defeat four students from the Profound Water Academy in succession,

his overwhelming power that seemed capable of sweeping through an entire generation still left the audience in awe.

As he witnessed his fellow students falling one after another,

Shen Feiyang, who had always appeared rather unmotivated, finally stepped forward.

This time, however, his gaze held a rare seriousness.

(End of Chapter)